How important are the use of joint protectors?

J

justinb386

Banned
I am curious how important are the use of joint protectors?

I am asking because I left the joint protectors for my Mcdermott cue at the pool hall yesterday, and just now realized that I left them.

By the way, my Mcdermott has a piloted 5/16x14 joint on it (if that makes any difference to the question I am asking).

Is there a really great need for joint protectors on any good quality cue, and is my cue in that great of risk of damage without the use of joint protectors?

I am curious what could possibly happen to a cue without the use of joint protectors?

Can the pin get warped without a joint protector, or the threads damaged some how?

Thanks.
 
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IMO it's much more important on the female end of the joint so junk doesn't get in there and make joining the cue correctly impossible.

If you misplaced yours, put a piece of painters tape over the end.
 
Cheap insurance, in my opinion, and sorta like cue jewelry/accessories if you want to see it that way. The only way moisture gets into a cue is through the end grain of the wood at the joint and shaft ends....everything else is sealed. If you drop your butt on the pin, you're probably going to have to replace it.
 
I'd much rather spend the dollars on a High Quality Case, like the Whitten I have. It's almost like a cue stick humidor. There's something about the way he built the interior of the case that Really creates a good environment for Wood. Cases are always made for many of the right reasons, cheap or expensive, but Whitten took the cue case interior to another level. Makes me think he musta contacted the makers of woodwind instrument cases or? And combined this knowledge with cue sticks.
 
I use them ONLY for ease of getting them out of the case.... The better cases are a little longer, and rather than "dig" for them, the JP's make it easier to grab..... and they look pretty good to boot.
 
Yeah, Whitten cases are very nice, and very beautiful. I am stuck using a cheap junkie $10 case for now, lol. I would be happy with a Giuseppe case. Thanks for your other replies. I will just use a piece of tape for the shaft for the time being. Would be horrible if some dirt got in there, and I would have no way to clean out the dirt (to be able to connect my cue). Thanks again.

Island Drive said:
I'd much rather spend the dollars on a High Quality Case, like the Whitten I have. It's almost like a cue stick humidor. There's something about the way he built the interior of the case that Really creates a good environment for Wood. Cases are always made for many of the right reasons, cheap or expensive, but Whitten took the cue case interior to another level. Makes me think he musta contacted the makers of woodwind instrument cases or? And combined this knowledge with cue sticks.
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When did joint protectors make the scene? I don't recall ever seeing them back in the 70's?
No joint protectors came with my Palmer original, so I never bought any later...

I do use 'em on my newer cues though.
 
When I spin one up a joint protector might come in handy if I wanted to save it for later. :thumbup:
 
DoubleD said:
Wait, instead of taking a slight risk that a small bit of dust will get in your shaft, you want to put something sticky on it, which basically ensures that crap will build up on the face?

Makes no sense.

Joint protectors have almost no practical use. If you are storing your cue in places where it is going to get dirty enough to cause problems, you are doing it wrong.

A person is just as likely to drop the cue and bend the pin or ding the shaft face when they are putting protectors on as any other time.

Dirt in the joint...hahaha. Seriously, these are pool cues, not excavation tools. They are used indoors around relatively clean surfaces, not in coal mines.

dld
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Yeah, you make a good point. I guess that getting a good quality case is much more important. Having to take joint protectors off and on every time I use my cue is very annoying (for me), so if it is not a big risk on the joint pin, the threads, or anything else, then I would rather not do it. Thanks for your help.
 
pwd72s said:
When did joint protectors make the scene? I don't recall ever seeing them back in the 70's?
No joint protectors came with my Palmer original, so I never bought any later...

I do use 'em on my newer cues though.
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Well they were around. Bushka made em, Ernie made them etc...

I especially use one on the joint pin, just to keep it safe.
 
ChicagoRJ said:
I use them ONLY for ease of getting them out of the case.... The better cases are a little longer, and rather than "dig" for them, the JP's make it easier to grab..... and they look pretty good to boot.
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Yep! Jim Baxter made the JP's I use on my Josey. I requested the concave shape for just that reason...a good grip for pulling out of the case. Plus, of course, they look way cool. ;)
 

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pwd72s said:
Yep! Jim Baxter made the JP's I use on my Josey. I requested the concave shape for just that reason...a good grip for pulling out of the case. Plus, of course, they look way cool. ;)
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Problem there is, you now need something else to protect your joint protectors.
 
Joint protectors are cheap insurance

rayjay said:
Cheap insurance, in my opinion, and sorta like cue jewelry/accessories if you want to see it that way. The only way moisture gets into a cue is through the end grain of the wood at the joint and shaft ends....everything else is sealed. If you drop your butt on the pin, you're probably going to have to replace it.
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I agree. It's cheap insurance.

1. While the "keeping dirt out" idea may be dubious when you consider that that's what the cue case is for (unless the liner material inside is prone to lots of pill balls or something, or the inside is really dirty with chalk residue because you don't take the time to wipe the cue tip before storing it in your case), the idea of protecting the pin while IN the case has some merit. For example, unless the cue butt fits snugly inside the case and is well-held and protected, there is going to be "slop" where the butt moves around slightly. Drop your case (or have it fall over), and the pin can be bent if it hits the lid in just the right way (e.g. on a slight-ish angle due to the "slop" in the case -- don't forget you have the entire weight of the butt behind that pin that gives it momentum). The purists are obviously going to say, "well bonehead, then don't drop your case or leave it where it can get kicked over!" And that's obviously a very shallow way of looking at it. Accidents *DO* happen, when you least expect it. I saw a player stumble down a flight of stairs, and with the more pressing matter that he got hurt while doing so (broke a couple of ribs), all his cues were ruined when the pins punched through the lid of the case, and were bent because the case was still falling down the rest of the stairs.

2. The joint protectors are also good as "handles" to help get the cue butt and shaft out of the case (I store mine with joint protectors "up" on both in my case), if the case slots happen to be deep.

3. Additionally, the joint protectors help to identify which cue you want to take out of your case, if the pins are exactly the same on some/all of them (I'm a Radial pin guy).

Now, having said all that, should the OP be "worried" that he left his joint protectors behind at the pool hall? Heck no. His cues will be FINE -- even long-term -- as long as he doesn't have a severe dropping accident with the case which could bend the pin(s).

I certainly don't look at joint protectors as being a "useless prophylactic for the obsessive compulsive" as some are making out here. They are cheap insurance, and they work -- albeit the cue/case has to go through some SERIOUS abuse before you see or reap the value of that insurance.

Hope this helps,
-Sean
 
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My case emptied out. I left the top unzipped. The JP' 's saved 3 cues &shafts. Cheap plastic protectors....Will never be without them.
 
I think the origin of JP's were for protection during shipping from Cuemaker to Supplier of Cue, or Customer. Now the have become in many cases Functional Art like those made by several AZB Members, JMHO.
 
How long will it be before all the stoners hijack this thread?

:smile:

DoubleD said:
A bent pin rarely ruins a cue. Pins are generally easy to replace.

I don't look at them like a prophylactic. Prophylactics actually do protect something.

I love the look of nice JP's on a cue. I don't believe they do much protecting.

dld
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For $8-$10 bucks you'll never have to worry about debating this again.:) No bent pin, no repair or shipping costs, and no down time. Can't beat that!
 
i never really saw the need for joint protectors. However, I occasionally carry my cue in a very soft case and that's when i realized i could damage the pins due to the lack of case protection
 
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